Not saying you should buy one of these. They are ridiculously expensive. But I could see this tech working in ultralight packs and other gear. It does appear to provide some sort of support and comfort. Inflatable shoulder straps is a nice idea. Ever seen this used before?

Remember that time you were hiking and reached a bit too far into that wild raspberry patch? And the other time when you were trekking around Sedona and had that close encounter with a prickly pear cactus?

Yeah, as I recall when those incidents happened, the aluminum pack stays didn't deflate and the shoulder harness padding continued to distribute weight.

I also question how effective those air channels are at distributing weight to your hips if the pack itself isn't completely full and cinched down tight.

ETA: OK, that is a little harsh. I agree it's an interesting concept. And I get it that ultra lightweight gear needn't be absolutely bomb proof. But when even minor damage to a piece of kit, due to its very nature, automatically means catastrophic or near catastrophic failure, I look elsewhere.

Remember that time you were hiking and reached a bit too far into that wild raspberry patch? And the other time when you were trekking around Sedona and had that close encounter with a prickly pear cactus?

Yeah, as I recall when those incidents happened, the aluminum pack stays didn't deflate and the shoulder harness padding continued to distribute weight.

I also question how effective those air channels are at distributing weight to your hips if the pack itself isn't completely full and cinched down tight.

ETA: OK, that is a little harsh. I agree it's an interesting concept. And I get it that ultra lightweight gear needn't be absolutely bomb proof. But when even minor damage to a piece of kit, due to its very nature, automatically means catastrophic or near catastrophic failure, I look elsewhere.

I agree with you completely. It's the concept that I think can be improved on and is interesting. What about foam filled inflatable sections of a pack or shoulder pads. Like a self inflating mattress pad? That way if you have an air failure there is still padding to be had. Like an added bonus. More inflatable padding if you need it. But if it fails no big deal.

I was looking at it more like a cheap, packable, lightweight GHB maybe. If you lived in an urban environment or something with less stickery things in it, you might have better success. Or maybe if you were traveling by bike or motorcycle? Where size and weight are at a premium? Something you could keep in your desk easily. Or in a larger survival kit. I don't know what the fabric is (maybe Ronin can chime in) but it looks pretty tough. Like I doubt a sticker bush would hurt it. But ya a big cactus spine would do it in. Being from the PNW I could see this working on trails just fine. But as interesting as this tech is - at this point it looks like more for backup than everyday carry use. Or maybe something to be added to an non re-enforced pack for added padding?

I could see this as a strap for a large fanny pack, side pack (hate those), camera strap, etc. Even a super lightweight rifle sling. But I guess nylon would be lighter. Maybe nylon re-enforced straps with inflatable sections? I like the back inflatable area too. On the backpack. Even if that failed you'd still have your backpack. But with it working it would add a lot of support to say a book type backpack. That normally doesn't have any stiffness in it. Heck you could improvise a pillow of this to put on the inside back of an ALICE pack. That would add a lot if you wanted to ditch the frame.

"Ideas are more dangerous than guns. We don't let our people have guns. Why would we let them have ideas?" Josef Stalin

I would not be at all surprised if Klymit's factory was the one making this pack, they are pretty accessible at trade shows.
only a few of Klymit's packs had inflatable shoulder straps, but it is a logical next step. Much like mattresses, a properly cared for inflatable will actually outlive foam assuming the factory did a good enough job welding. While most foam will break down over time just from age, and of course even faster with use, inflatables offer the same amount of padding until they catastrophically fail. If you are careless or unlucky this can often occur before the lifespan of a foam pad or strap would be up, but some inflatables have survived decades of regular use.

Beyond the weight savings the other important factor is that the firmness of the padding is user and field adjustable, you can change it based on preference or changing load.

Most of Klymit's stuff seems to be a 75d polyester, and having owned an inertia x-frame I would not be to concerned about popping it unless you plan on being negligent, they are certainly more robust then the now ubiquitous neoairs. Sure I wouldn't want air chambers on my INCH bag, but for backpacking or on a smaller pack where a loss of pressure would be inconvenient rather then a trip ender I'd be down.

While this is not a pack for the careless, or those living near particularly aggressive flora, it is a sound idea and I think needs further exploring.

share your tobacco and your kindling, but never your sauna or your woman.

I would not be at all surprised if Klymit's factory was the one making this pack, they are pretty accessible at trade shows.
only a few of Klymit's packs had inflatable shoulder straps, but it is a logical next step. Much like mattresses, a properly cared for inflatable will actually outlive foam assuming the factory did a good enough job welding. While most foam will break down over time just from age, and of course even faster with use, inflatables offer the same amount of padding until they catastrophically fail. If you are careless or unlucky this can often occur before the lifespan of a foam pad or strap would be up, but some inflatables have survived decades of regular use.

Beyond the weight savings the other important factor is that the firmness of the padding is user and field adjustable, you can change it based on preference or changing load.

Most of Klymit's stuff seems to be a 75d polyester, and having owned an inertia x-frame I would not be to concerned about popping it unless you plan on being negligent, they are certainly more robust then the now ubiquitous neoairs. Sure I wouldn't want air chambers on my INCH bag, but for backpacking or on a smaller pack where a loss of pressure would be inconvenient rather then a trip ender I'd be down.

While this is not a pack for the careless, or those living near particularly aggressive flora, it is a sound idea and I think needs further exploring.

I think the biggest factor in "inflatable mattresses vs foam mats" is that inflatables can deflate down to a VERY small footprint. I have the Klymit X one that's 3/4 length. And that thing packs down SMALL. Even my big agnes full size long is small - compared to a big foam roll up. And I hate attaching things to the outside of my pack. Not to mention most of the areas I sleep out in are not that violent of an environment to pose much risk to an inflatable. A modern one that is. These modern ones are like a heavy polyester with a rubberlike membrane adhered to the inside. It's really thick tough stuff. You'd have to sleep on a pretty sharp edge to poke a hole in one. And they all come with handy repair kits that actually work anyway.

But yes, inflatable tech in modern backpacking equipment seems like it could be a small trend. I could see it's effective uses.

"Ideas are more dangerous than guns. We don't let our people have guns. Why would we let them have ideas?" Josef Stalin